We don’t do many book reviews over here do we? Mmm? I think, usually, well first off I am totally not a pro at reviewing. I don’t have le words. Hilarious. When I love a book mainly I am just reduced to single word sentences like, “ASDFGHJKL” and “AHHH. FEELINGS.” So! Mm! This is a little bit of a gamble reviewing a book today, but we’re up for a challenge right? Right! Onwards!
The premise:
I bought this book second hand, actually, from a shop near my parents’ house. It cost me all of 25p. Yea it did. And even though I paid less than I would to buy, like, a decent cup of tea (99p, FYI, but if made in the correct manner I will happily pay a lot more) it has taken me almost four months to even consider reading it. I would like to say this is because my pile of unread books is veering dangerously towards the insane lady with too many books mark but, really, I know what made me hesitant. To me, le cover is not overwhelming. Having now read the book I find this a terrible thing to beholden because the book is, yo, THE BOOK IS OVERWHELMING. I feel like the cover is a total understatement of its awesomenesss and, for a while, I just couldn’t see passed it. In short, I WAS A BAD BAD PERSON.
Okay, okay, now the actual book:
It was like it PUNCHED ME IN THE STOMACH, ran away, apologised, crept back up, and repeated several times. It was like it filled me with equal measures of fun, and hilarity, and pain, and love, and anguish and shook me until I was done. It was subtle, and it was loud. It was full of glorious coincidences and awful truths. It was real. It was incredible. I am slowly, slowly, reducing this down. Ahhhh. Okay. So. Basically. ASDFGHJKL.
Reasons you might want to try it:
- It is a love story but not a romance. This makes a big difference. This turns it into something incredibly special, I DO BELIEVE. Yes I do.
- There is a boy called Bird in it. I CAN’T EVEN MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
- The narrative and format techniques are just… like… Okay, imagine the most perfectly constructed pastry ever thought up. IT WAS LIKE THAT, GUYS. EXCEPT IN BOOK FORMAT, OBVSIOUSLY.
- When I finished it I was filled with a great sadness you get from coming to the end of a brilliant story.
- I guess the cover, at least, makes it a subtle book to read in public.
- The book within this book, also, just happens to be AMAZBALLS.
Now I has question for you:
What was the last book you read? Any good? Any bad? What do we think of the name Bird? I love it. Also he jumps off a roof at one point, this is toootally relevant. Any books you are waiting for in particular? I am VERY EXCITE about Insurgent by Veronica Roth right now. AHHHHHH.
0 Comments
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Johanna Garth
I might have to read that one! Cause a boy called Bird is just too charming. My last book was Pure and I still can't decide whether I liked it.
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Nicole Settle
This is one of my favorites. I highlighted so many passages from this book. I really need to reread this.
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Deniz Bevan
Wow, thanks for that! We got this book to read for our book club but it's been months since we met. Maybe I'll read it soon anyway!
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Neurotic Workaholic
I loved The History of Love. I love stories about writers, because I think it's interesting to read about how they come up with the ideas for their stories. I also liked its portrayal of the loneliness that the characters felt; she showed that loneliness affects (and in some cases controls) people in different ways.
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Cathryn Leigh
Last book I read – Anca's Story by Saffina Desforges (okay I'm still reading it) and despite the fact it's a Holocaust based story, I'm loving it. Before that – the Time Baroness, which was good and then A thousand glass Flowers by Prue Batten, loved that one too….
I think I've heard of the History of Love, but now I'm intrigued.
As to book I can't wait for – St. Malory's Forever! by Miriam Joy, Charley Robson (both good internet friends of mine) and Saffina Desforges. It'll be Miriam and Charley's first published novel and OMG I'm so Excited for them, I'm squealing just typing this out. *giggles*
:} Cathryn
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The Red Angel
I have heard great things about Nicole Krauss. I'm not surprised by your reaction to her book 🙂 I need to read it though! You say it's amazballs, so it MUST be 🙂
Hmm, the last book I read was my Abnormal Psychology textbook. LOL does that even count? xD
Happy Easter, my dear!
-Wendy Lu
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Seumas
Boy called Bird, bounding beyond… errr, brooves? (Okay, I cheated.)
Quite an obvious thing to do. Is this not how he got his name? 😛